Excerpt from Flight Moon
p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }Excerpt from my current work in progress, Flight Moon.
"Itcould be several moons before you can fly."Thedragon gave him a mischievous grin. "Let's test that theory."FlightMoon sprang forth with such swiftness that Gakulisan didn't have timeto stop her. She rushed towards the cliff's edge, bounding forward onfour legs like a panther. With a powerful leap she thrust herself offthe cliff.Fora moment she thought she would fall. The wind gusted painfullyagainst her wings. Pulsing them violently she shook off herdystrophy. The force of her wings pushed her above the level of thecliff. Gakulisanrelaxed, watching her rise higher above him with a great effort. Sherose past the point where fear of falling distracts from thesensation of sustained flight. She was able to slow her wings andsoar, drifting on air currents. Her gaze lifted to the horizon.Forthe first time in half a season she wondered where she would go.Should she return to Gorusk and seek out Shirr? That would probablybe the last thing she ever did. Shecould continue to hide. She wondered if Shirr was still searching forher. Witha flap of her wings she rose higher, hoping the open wind would stripaway her thoughts. Gliding high above the land, again she looked atthe edge of land in her possible sight. But it wasn't towards Shirrthat her gaze was turned. Something tugged at her from where she hadcome, from where she had fallen, but didn't fall. From where...Afaint blue light flashed far in the distance. Flight Moon squinted todiscern its source, but the light became more intense, seemed to becoming closer. What is that?But the dragon didn't have any more time to think as the light rushedtowards her. She tried to back away, in an attempt to dodge it, buther limbs wouldn't obey her.Witha shock of pain and light the energy hit her. Shewas blinded by blue-hot lightning. No, there was darkness in it. Inthe center... a form. A face.FlightMoon felt a rush of wind from beneath her. Disoriented, a shock orawareness made her open her eyes and realize that she was falling.She was almost to the ground, but she couldn't move. No, she wasn'tfalling. The gusting wind wasn't caused by her fall, it was anunnatural force keeping gravity from claiming her form. Thewizard. She turned to see him onthe cliff, level with her, with both hands raised to the sky,controlling the wind that was keeping her from pummeling into theground.Sheforced her wings to move and drifted more than flew back to thecliff. "Under...attack..." Flight Moon forced out as she landed with a crash. Gakulisancollapsed to one knee, but managed to turn towards the north and scanthe skies. "Idon't see anything." He looked back to the dragon, hearing herlabored breathing. "What happened?""Thelight... attacked me.""Light?"the wizard asked. He didn't continue, seeing her eyelids close. Hestarted to approach her, but withdrew his hand when the hairs on hisharm rose and the fabric of his robe clung together.
"Itcould be several moons before you can fly."Thedragon gave him a mischievous grin. "Let's test that theory."FlightMoon sprang forth with such swiftness that Gakulisan didn't have timeto stop her. She rushed towards the cliff's edge, bounding forward onfour legs like a panther. With a powerful leap she thrust herself offthe cliff.Fora moment she thought she would fall. The wind gusted painfullyagainst her wings. Pulsing them violently she shook off herdystrophy. The force of her wings pushed her above the level of thecliff. Gakulisanrelaxed, watching her rise higher above him with a great effort. Sherose past the point where fear of falling distracts from thesensation of sustained flight. She was able to slow her wings andsoar, drifting on air currents. Her gaze lifted to the horizon.Forthe first time in half a season she wondered where she would go.Should she return to Gorusk and seek out Shirr? That would probablybe the last thing she ever did. Shecould continue to hide. She wondered if Shirr was still searching forher. Witha flap of her wings she rose higher, hoping the open wind would stripaway her thoughts. Gliding high above the land, again she looked atthe edge of land in her possible sight. But it wasn't towards Shirrthat her gaze was turned. Something tugged at her from where she hadcome, from where she had fallen, but didn't fall. From where...Afaint blue light flashed far in the distance. Flight Moon squinted todiscern its source, but the light became more intense, seemed to becoming closer. What is that?But the dragon didn't have any more time to think as the light rushedtowards her. She tried to back away, in an attempt to dodge it, buther limbs wouldn't obey her.Witha shock of pain and light the energy hit her. Shewas blinded by blue-hot lightning. No, there was darkness in it. Inthe center... a form. A face.FlightMoon felt a rush of wind from beneath her. Disoriented, a shock orawareness made her open her eyes and realize that she was falling.She was almost to the ground, but she couldn't move. No, she wasn'tfalling. The gusting wind wasn't caused by her fall, it was anunnatural force keeping gravity from claiming her form. Thewizard. She turned to see him onthe cliff, level with her, with both hands raised to the sky,controlling the wind that was keeping her from pummeling into theground.Sheforced her wings to move and drifted more than flew back to thecliff. "Under...attack..." Flight Moon forced out as she landed with a crash. Gakulisancollapsed to one knee, but managed to turn towards the north and scanthe skies. "Idon't see anything." He looked back to the dragon, hearing herlabored breathing. "What happened?""Thelight... attacked me.""Light?"the wizard asked. He didn't continue, seeing her eyelids close. Hestarted to approach her, but withdrew his hand when the hairs on hisharm rose and the fabric of his robe clung together.
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